Blog

Posted on

ROV Finds Split in CA Pipeline

Diver and ROV observations show a 13-inch (33cm) split has been found in a 4,000 foot (1,220 m) section of Amplify Energy’s 41-yr old pipeline off the coast of Southern California, spilling ~144,000 gallons (~545,000 L) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, killing wildlife and contaminating shorelines.

Authorities believe the rupture may have been caused by a ship’s anchor sometime in the very early hours of Saturday morning. The pipeline has been shutdown while the incident is under investigation and clean-up activities are underway.

Full article at: CNN06oct21

Posted on

Senator Wrasse?

With all the rain and high winds we have been getting lately (not to mention the Sydney COVID lock-down), it has been very hard to get out and under the water to do any exploring lately. Visibility has been terrible and the swells… just aren’t swell.

Dave did get out yesterday for a quick look around Batemans Bay and we got a quick glimpse of this fish, which we haven’t seen before. We are pretty sure it is an adult male Senator Wrasse, with very distinctive white ventral fins

Posted on

World’s Deepest Underwater Cave

We had never heard of the Hranice Abyss before catching sight of this article. Hranická Propast, in the Czech Republic, is the world’s deepest underwater cave with a depth of 1,325 feet (404m), as measured by an ROV. The cave was formed by hot, CO2-filled, mineral water bubbling up from an underground spring.

Full article at: ThomasInsights 15sep21

Posted on

Test Rescue Missions

Thales Australia has been working with students at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) as part of the Industry Studio Collaboration Project. Team members recently tested custom ROV control software with some basic underwater manoeuvring and an underwater item-collection challenge using an ROV equipped with a dustpan. Sounds like the next project hurdle will be to implement autonomous behaviour by the ROV so it can identify and collect items without a pilot. Quite a challenge!

Full article at: Thales Test Tank Rescue Mission

Posted on

Red Scorpion Fish

We spotted this super-camouflaged, stealth predator on a BlueROV2 dive in Batemans Bay NSW this morning.

Dave said the sting from one of these dorsal fins was the most painful experiences he has had… He has since learned that the venom can be denatured with very hot water.